Who is the first Cinematographer to bag a Dada Saheb Phalke award?

VK Murthy is the first & only (till 2010 ) cinematographer to bag the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke award since its inception in 1969. He is a freedom fighter and has served Guru Datt as his regular camaraman.He hails from Mysore and right now he lives in Bangalore. He did his Diploma in cinematography at the famous Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic, which has produced famous people like M S Satyu, in 1946 and went to them Bombay for internship in a studio. After working hard for nearly three years, Guru Datt noticed him and gave him a chance to work for Kaagaz Ke Phool. Kagaz ke Phool was India’s first cinemascope (75mm) movie. Some of Indian cinema’s most breathtaking images in starkly contrasted black and white, were provided by VK Murthy. Apart from Dada Saheb Phalke Award for 2008, he got many other awards, one of which is IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 Amsterdam.